Note 5 - Investments and Advances in Real Estate Joint Ventures (Detail) - Joint Venture Investments Accounted For Under The Equity Method - Investment Details (Prior Period) (USD $)	6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 sqft		Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011 sqft
Average Ownership Interest	20.00%
Number of Properties	29			690
Total GLA (in Square feet)	1,863,000	[1]		84,400,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate				$ 13,461,100,000
The Company's Investment				1,404,200,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	79,246,000		30,169,000	30,200,000
KimPru and KimPru II [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	15.00%	[2],[3]		15.00%	[2],[3]
Number of Properties	62	[2],[3]		63	[2],[3]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	10,700,000	[2],[3]		10,900,000	[2],[3]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	2,752,700,000	[2],[3]		2,781,400,000	[2],[3]
The Company's Investment	158,000,000	[2],[3]		151,900,000	[2],[3]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	4,100,000	[2],[3]		(1,700,000)	[2],[3]
KIR [Member]
Average Ownership Interest				45.00%	[2]
Number of Properties				59	[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)				12,600,000	[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate				1,556,600,000	[2]
The Company's Investment				151,400,000	[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)				10,600,000	[2]
UBS Programs [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	17.90%	[2],[4]		17.90%	[2],[4]
Number of Properties	41	[2]		42	[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	5,800,000	[2]		5,900,000	[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,303,800,000	[2]		1,330,500,000	[2]
The Company's Investment	60,600,000	[2]		61,300,000	[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	400,000	[2]		1,000,000	[2]
BIG Shopping Centers [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	37.70%	[2],[4]		37.60%	[2],[4]
Number of Properties	23	[2]		23	[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	3,800,000	[2]		3,700,000	[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	557,900,000	[2]		557,400,000	[2]
The Company's Investment	37,600,000	[2]		41,200,000	[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	(1,400,000)	[2]		(1,500,000)	[2]
CPP [Member]
Average Ownership Interest				55.00%	[2]
Number of Properties				6	[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)				2,400,000	[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate				430,000,000	[2]
The Company's Investment				140,600,000	[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)				2,800,000	[2]
Kimco Income Fund [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	15.20%	[2]		15.20%	[2]
Number of Properties	12	[2]		12	[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	1,500,000	[2]		1,500,000	[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	282,600,000	[2]		281,100,000	[2]
The Company's Investment	12,300,000	[2]		12,100,000	[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	1,000,000	[2]		600,000	[2]
SEB Immobilien [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	15.00%	[2]		15.00%	[2]
Number of Properties	13	[2]		13	[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	1,800,000	[2]		1,800,000	[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	360,900,000	[2]		360,500,000	[2]
The Company's Investment	1,800,000	[2]		2,100,000	[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	300,000	[2]		100,000	[2]
Other Institutional Programs [Member]
Number of Properties	62	[2],[5],[6]		67	[2]
Total GLA (in Square feet)	3,300,000	[2],[5],[6]		4,700,000	[2]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	577,900,000	[2],[5],[6]		804,400,000	[2]
The Company's Investment	21,200,000	[2],[5],[6]		33,700,000	[2]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	18,400,000	[2],[5],[6]		700,000	[2]
RioCan [Member]
Average Ownership Interest	50.00%	[7]		50.00%
Number of Properties	45	[7]		45
Total GLA (in Square feet)	9,300,000	[7]		9,300,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,340,900,000	[7]		1,367,000,000
The Company's Investment	94,600,000	[7]		62,200,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	17,800,000	[7]		10,000,000
Intown [Member]
Number of Properties	138	[8]		138	[8]
Gross Investment In Real Estate	835,800,000	[8]		829,900,000	[8]
The Company's Investment	88,100,000	[8]		90,800,000	[8]
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	800,000	[8]		(2,100,000)	[8]
Latin America [Member]
Number of Properties	131			130
Total GLA (in Square feet)	18,100,000			17,900,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate	1,183,300,000			1,145,800,000
The Company's Investment	321,300,000			318,000,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	6,500,000			5,400,000
Other Joint Venture Programs [Member]
Number of Properties	92	[10],[11],[12],[13],[9]		92
Total GLA (in Square feet)	13,600,000	[10],[11],[12],[13],[9]		13,700,000
Gross Investment In Real Estate	2,010,300,000	[10],[11],[12],[13],[9]		2,016,500,000
The Company's Investment	348,900,000	[10],[11],[12],[13],[9]		338,900,000
The Company's Share of Income/(Loss)	$ 16,900,000	[10],[11],[12],[13],[9]		$ 4,300,000

[1] Gross leasable area ("GLA")

[2] The Company manages these joint venture investments and, where applicable, earns acquisition fees, leasing commissions, property management fees, assets management fees and construction management fees.

[3] This venture represents four separate joint ventures, with four separate accounts managed by Prudential Real Estate Investors ("PREI"), three of these ventures are collectively referred to as KimPru and the remaining venture is referred to as KimPru II.

[4] Ownership % is a blended rate

[5] During the six months ended June 30, 2012, a joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest sold two encumbered operating properties to the Company for an aggregate sales price of $75.5 million. The Company recognized promote income of $2.6 million.

[6] During the six months ended June 30, 2012, a joint venture in which the Company held a noncontrolling interest sold an operating property to the Company for a sales price of $127.0 million. The Company evaluated this transaction pursuant to the FASB's Consolidation guidance and as such recognized a gain of $12.1 million from the fair value adjustment associated with its original ownership due to a change in control. In addition, the Company recognized promote income of $1.1 million in connection with this transaction.

[7] During the six months June 30, 2012, the Company recognized income of $7.5 million, before taxes of $1.5 million, from the sale of certain air rights at one of the properties in this portfolio.

[8] The Company's share of this investment is subject to fluctuation and is dependent upon property cash flows.

[9] During 2012, the Company amended one of its Canadian preferred equity investment agreements to restructure the investment as a pari passu joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest. As a result of this transaction, the Company continues to account for its investment in this joint venture under the equity method of accounting and includes this investment in Investments and advances to real estate joint ventures within the Company's Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

[10] During the six months ended June 30, 2012, a joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest sold an operating property for a sales price of $62.0 million, which resulted in no gain or loss recognized.

[11] During the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company sold an operating property to a newly formed unconsolidated joint venture in which the Company has a noncontrolling interest for a sales price of $55.5 million.

[12] During the six months ended June 30, 2012, a joint venture in which the Company holds a noncontrolling interest acquired an operating property in Alberta, Canada for a purchase price of $41.7 million. The Company's capital contribution was $14.2 million.

[13] During the six months ended June 30, 2012, two joint ventures in which the Company holds noncontrolling interests sold two properties for an aggregate sales price of $118.0 million. The Company received distributions of $18.5 million and recognized an aggregate gain of $8.3 million.